A defunct liberal arts college in Vermont that operated from 1951 to 1978.
Windham College was founded in 1951 by Walter F. Hendricks as the Vermont Institute of Special Studies, initially focused on helping foreign students improve their English language skills. In 1954, it was renamed Windham College and expanded to offer liberal arts and sciences courses, earning accreditation in December 1967. The college relocated to an Edward Durell Stone-designed campus outside Putney village, featuring five academic buildings connected by a colonnade and five major dormitories on the hillside.
Under President Eugene Winslow (1964–1974), student enrollment grew dramatically from 160 to a peak of 935. However, the college faced financial difficulties in the mid-1970s. By 1975, enrollment had fallen to 450, and despite aggressive recruitment of Middle Eastern students, it continued to decline. The college closed abruptly in 1978 with only 254 students, forcing international students to vacate dormitories in the middle of winter.
Author John Irving taught at Windham College while writing his first novel, Setting Free the Bears. Irving later referenced the college in his novel Last Night in Twisted River, describing it as 'an architectural eyesore on an otherwise beautiful piece of land.' Pearl S. Buck served as a trustee of the college.
The Windham College campus was later occupied by Landmark College. Notable alumni include William Powell, author of The Anarchist Cookbook, and Karen Wise, who became the first woman to play NCAA college basketball when she appeared in a game for the Windham College men's team on January 20, 1972.